


In the Line of Duty

by CrystalVolcheck



Series: Park Avenue [4]
Category: Penguins of Madagascar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 10:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4133919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalVolcheck/pseuds/CrystalVolcheck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The mission should be simple; take down the Pigeon, by any means necessary, before he reaches the commissioner. However, there's something Skipper isn't telling the team, or at least isn't telling Private. -picks up where A Deal with the Devil left off- BASED ON 'IN THE LINE OF DOODY'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There is now an ask blog for the series found here http://ask-park-avenue.tumblr.com/

_"You can't handle the truth!" - Col. Jessep from the film A Few Good Men_

Now that everything was settled from the Mr. Tux incident, something that Skipper would be making up to Private for years to come, the leader enjoyed the idea of taking the day to relax and bond. Especially after the divide that occurred, he probably owed Rico an apology based on how Kowalski had chewed him out yesterday as well. A sharp chirp caught his attention and he looked over to where Private was sitting, cell phone in hand, the boy looked up at him owlishly.

"Skippa, who's Frankie?" The words struck him like a freight train; he hadn't heard that name in years, at least not since Denmark. If it really was Frankie then one wrong move could plunge the globe into World War III or at the very least expose CENTRAAL and their allies' secrets.

"Movie night is cancelled until further notice boys. Kowalski call up HQ tell them Frankie is back, Rico run a security check, and Private you tell Kid to get the hell out of whatever he got himself in to." While Kowalski and Rico disappeared to complete the tasks they had been given, Private was looking at him confused.

"Skippa?"

"Listen, I know Kid threatened the team, but no one and I mean no one deserves to get mixed up with Frankie. It's like playing with an atomic bomb." He wouldn't wish Frankie on his worst enemy; the man was a sociopath and a criminal genius. Nothing like Dr. Blowhole, of course, he was more of a mad scientist. Frankie was a master tactician and knew exactly how to get under a person's skin and exploit their weakness. Even if the person didn't realize what their weakness was. Moreover, Skipper already knew where Frankie would hit them.

"Incoming transmission, 10 minutes." Kowalski spoke rushing back into the room, switching the television on to a secure feed and activating the camera. After a tense silence, the screen was filled with face a of young CENTRAAL agent, her expression was neutral, she had one hand on the one side of her headset and the other typing rapidly, after a few seconds, her hand dropped and she began to speak.

"Commander Davis, the Director has been notified of your situation, he believes that Frankie's target is Commissioner McSlade. Your orders are to take Frankie down by any means. Lethal force has been authorized failure is not an option. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"The full details of your task are being sent, you should be receiving them momentarily." The agent stopped typing and brought her full attention to Skipper. "Frankie was selected for a reason, but so were you. That bastard has been slipping through our fingers for far too long; it's time to end it. Best of luck and remember, never swim alone."

The transmission ended just in time for Rico to enter the room with a manila envelope in hand. "Security clear."

"Good, but don't expect it to stay that way for long." Skipper took the envelope from Rico and opened it pleased to see that they had faxed Frankie's file over, however after 2000 there was no further information. "Kowalski we're going to need eyes and ears down at the new Children's Center; McSlade is going to be there and security isn't going to be tight enough. Rico-"

"What the bloody hell is going on?" The sudden shout brought everyone's eyes to Private, the young Brit looking beyond irritated.

"Maybe it's best that you tell him, Skipper. He needs to know what we're getting in to." Kowalski's voice was gentle, but it did dissolve some of the building tension.

"Alright, a little more than twenty years ago CENTRAAL came up with Project: Alpha, it was their version of Group 13, except instead of one group there would be multiple, smaller groups of three. In theory, it worked, but the regulations were lose and some unsavory characters slipped through psych evaluation, they also didn't take in to consideration compatible personalities." The words came easily, which was not something he had been expecting, then again he had told it before to Kowalski and Rico years before. "Anyway, one of these teams was made up of Hans, Frankie, and me. We were on a mission in Denmark, it was simple, Hans was looking for any connection between ambassadors and global crime syndicates, I was control if anything went wrong and we were ready for that. However, we weren't ready for Frankie to be what went wrong, he planted false evidence and pointed at Hans and myself once all was said and done. Of course, Hans shifted the blame completely on me and I was made public enemy number one."

"Wait, how did that make you unable to step foot in Denmark?"

"It was the deal CENTRAAL managed to strike with the government, as long as I never stepped foot in Denmark they wouldn't charge me with, well, that part is still classified." It was not, but he couldn't bring himself to say what he had done, he had never been able to. For weeks after the fact it left him unable to sleep, he had been ready to quit and move to Alaska and become an angler the rest of his life.

"If CENTRAAL knows that Frankie's behind it, why didn't they do anything about it?" Skipper visibly flinched at Private's next question, prompting Kowalski to step in.

"Frankie disappeared from the grid, only showing up long enough to prove he was still around or somehow connected to some catastrophic event. He's not your everyday sociopath. He's a genius. There was no way to connect him to the crimes. In other words, he's a Pigeon, can't tell him from the rest." At Kowalski's words, Skipper began to feel sick, even his lieutenant was covering for him. He wondered what Private would think of him if he knew the truth that Frankie had found him years earlier before Project: Habitat went into practice, and that he could have finished Frankie then, but let the man go.

"Then why here? Why now?"

"It doesn't matter, what matters is that he's here and we're going to take him down." The words came out harsher than he had intended, even Rico was looking at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm sorry Private, but there's more hanging on this mission than you realize. If Frankie gets away, it could be years before he makes an appearance." A heavy silence settled over the team, it was several minutes before Private spoke, his tone indifferent.

"What's the plan?"

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

_"Don't tell me how, his honor will still keep him alive and then rattle off something hopeful."- Parabelle 'Kiss the Flag: The Widow'_

Skipper bit the inside of his cheek as he waited outside of Marlene's apartment door with a bag of take out in hand. He wasn't nervous, at least that's what he was telling himself, he was merely concerned.

"What did you do this time?" He could hear the smirk in Marlene's voice as the door swung open, she was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a rather unimpressed expression.

"I brought dinner."

"Come on in." It looked like she had been in the middle of painting or possibly just finishing up for the day. A cherry blossom tree on the far side of the living room and a palette of various pinks on a nearby table proved he had in fact interrupted. "Just give me a minute to clean up; I don't want to ruin any brushes."

As Marlene washed her brushes, he set the food out on the coffee table and took his jacket off. He couldn't help but shake the feeling of guilt, his men were preparing everything for tomorrow and he was having a dinner date. However, being at the base was suffocating there was still tension between him and Private. Beyond that his past was coming back to bite him in the ass and that was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.

"So, uh, how has work been?" The words were tangled together and he mentally kicked himself, the look on Marlene's face as he took a seat next to him on the couch and offered him a fork, screamed that she knew something was up. It was near impossible to hide anything from her, she could see through his false bravado and flimsy lies.

"Okay, what's really going on, because you hate it when I talk about work."

"What? I can't ask my girlfriend how work went."

A small chuckle escaped Marlene as she used an extra pair of chopsticks to put a wonton on her plate before speaking, "Anyone but you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Skipper on the other hand stabbed an eggroll with the fork Marlene had given him, reflecting his irritation.

"I know you Skipper, I may not know everything about you, but I  _know_ you. Something's up or else you wouldn't be randomly knocking on my door with take-out. Not that I mind, but it makes me worry."

"This is why I avoid relationships, because that's all you'll be doing. You're going to worry and I don't want you to. Tonight, I just want it to be about us, because tomorrow I have no idea what's going to happen."

"What did you get into?" The fear in Marlene's voice was so raw that he couldn't bring himself to look at her. The room grew thick with tension and the two abandoned their meals, Marlene grabbed his hand, nails digging into his skin. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you if you promise me one thing."

"I won't make a promise until I know what I'm promising."

"Marlene, just stay inside tomorrow, don't go near any windows, and don't answer the door unless it's me, okay? Can you promise me you'll do that?"

"Okay, I promise. Now tell me why." He hesitated, it wasn't as if he couldn't tell her but sometimes it was easier not having her know everything. Yet, it was only right to let her know the danger she was in tomorrow if Frankie knew about her.

"An old acquaintance is coming in tomorrow, he knows exactly how to manipulate people, he can figure out your weakness within two minutes of meeting you. And as much as I hate to say this, my men aren't prepared to face someone like that. Tomorrow will be one of the most dangerous positions I've ever put them in."  _And you, you're in just as much danger._ He continued in his mind, not quite able to actually say the words. "And it's my fault that they're in that position, I had the chance to take him out years ago, but I couldn't pull the trigger."

"Skipper…" Marlene was rubbing circles with her thumb against the back of his hand across his knuckles. He couldn't believe how calm she was and he couldn't believe that he was telling her these things, but he couldn't keep holding it in.

"Then, I keep seeing everything that could happen, everything that Frankie could do to take my team down, because I know my boys' weaknesses. If you want to get Rico, you take out Kowalski, if you want Kowalski then separate him from everyone else and disarm him. Private is too trusting, just say that you're turning over a new leaf and he'll believe you."

"What about you?"

"I get too emotionally involved, if any one of my boys gets hurt or worse, then Frankie knows he has me. He knows how weak I am." Hurt flickered across Marlene's face.

"I don't believe you're weak, I believe that makes you human. What I can't believe is that you're doubting your team, you know sometimes your greatest weakness can be your greatest strength. Were you honestly telling me that if some tried to take Kowalski out, Rico wouldn't do every last thing in his power to save him or literally nail whoever tried to, to the ground?" She was ranting now, walking around the living room and gesturing wildly with her hands. "Or that Kowalski couldn't think his way out of a tight situation, because I've seen him make plasma saws using blueberry bubble gum. As for Private, he's not as trusting as you think, he's been hurt. Enough that he can shut down and be a completely different person."

"Marlene!" Skipper snapped grabbing her arm and pulling her back over to the couch, "you made your point, calm down." And she had, her words were buzzing around his skull and he realized that he had been wallowing in self-pity.

"About time it clicked, for someone so macho you need an awful a lot of reassurance." A chuckle escaped him and he smiled at her, it was as if a weight had been lifted of his shoulders. "But seriously, you're not weak Skipper, and you shouldn't hold back. Your team will follow you to the end of the Earth and I can't imagine my life without you." Marlene bit her lip suddenly nervous and Skipper realized that she was still doubting his feelings for her. He tucked a few stray strains of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek.

"I can't imagine my life without either, thank you, Marlene." The words were soft, dripping with sincerity and a thousand words that went unspoken. A sweet chaste kiss followed and the night was finally about them or at least until another thought hit Skipper. "As much as I'd like to keep the moment going and possibly spend the night, I need to go apologize to the team."

A disappointed sigh escaped Marlene, but Skipper owning up to his mistakes was a rare occurrence and she wasn't about to get in the way of him apologizing willingly. "Can we at least finish dinner before you go running off?"

 


	3. Chapter 3

_Ever have a day where you just, wish you were someone else? -Anonymous_

Thankfully, it wasn't terribly late by the time he actually left Marlene's apartment; the team would still be up. Although it was suspiciously quiet when he first entered, a string of harsh curses in rapid Spanish quickly broke the silence. Rico was still awake then and seeing that the door to Kowalski's lab was open, he guessed the genius was also awake and they were still working.

"Sorry Rico, I just thought of a better placement for the Sensory Transmitter-Pack, see." Skipper leaned against the open doorway with raised eyebrows. Kowalski and Rico were standing shoulder to shoulder in front of a white board covered in detailed blueprints and Kowalski's typical scrawl, as the genius pointed at something in the drawings. However, that wasn't what had caused the raised eyebrows it was where Kowalski had rested his other hand, because there really wasn't any reason for him to have it on the small of Rico's back. Maybe Marlene had been right that night they were at The Groove waiting for Clemson, he'd have to keep a closer eye on the two from now on.

Only for a moment all he could think about was how he had told Marlene the team's weaknesses and that if there was something between Rico and Kowalski tomorrow would be even more dangerous than before, but he had to shake that thought from his mind. He had to stop doubting his men and stop doubting himself, his grandfather had always said that doubt was the real evil in the world; it was the seed that once planted and allowed to grow would tear everything that you had built down.

"I take it everything is ready for tomorrow if you two have time to stand around." The two jumped and put space between themselves as they turned to face him.

"We're just making some final upgrades to the communicators, after we finish tweaking the weight distribution we should have them rebuilt and operational in two hours." Skipper held his tongue noticing that the tips of Kowalski's ears hat turned bright pink, the only thing that gave away his poker face.

"Make it an hour; we'll need plenty of sleep if we're going to get through tomorrow." He turned to leave when another thought occurred to him. "Oh, and Rico two dollars in the swear jar, at least two."

"Come on! How'd you hear that?" Skipper suppressed a chuckle at Rico's outcry and Kowalski muttering the odds before turning back to the board. Now Skipper was in search of Private, surprised that he hadn't seen the youngest member of the team watching Lunacorns. Yet at the same time with the mission they were about to take on tomorrow, it wouldn't make sense. Instead he found Private on the training floor, just finishing cleaning his rifle and getting ready to pack up from tomorrow. "Private."

"Did you have a nice visit, Skippa?"

"If you count saying good-bye a nice visit."

Private paused at his words, lips moving soundlessly as he tried to find something to say, finally settling on a soft, "Oh."

"Actually, Marlene set me straight about a few things and I realize that I owe you an apology, for not just earlier today, but for pressuring you over the Mr. Tux thing." Skipper paused for a moment, not certain with just how he wanted to continue, but brutal honesty always seemed to work, "I guess in a way I was jealous, you did the one thing that I never could." His chest felt tight and Private was looking at him eyes wide with confusion.

"Jealous? Of what? What's there to be jealous of?"

"Mr. Tux. When I was talking about the team I used to be on, I was in the same boat as you. I was assigned to be a sniper, only I couldn't take the shot. Frankie did instead, but he took out the wrong target and linked it to me. CENTRAAL was never able to shake the charges and I set out for revenge, all I cared about was nailing the bastard who framed me."

"But the story doesn't end there does it?"

"No, I did find Frankie, I even had him trapped, but I couldn't shoot him, he got right under my skin and pulled on some of my greatest fears. Now my team is in danger because I let my fears get the better of me. If I could have been like you, like Mr. Tux, we wouldn't be in this situation." Private's face softened, the young man unsure of what to say, and his silence put Skipper on edge.

"Everything I did as Mr. Tux haunts me to this day, knowing that I'm capable to taking a life without a second thought makes me sick to my stomach. I'm always afraid that if I were to become Mr. Tux again, I might not ever be able to be Private again." The fear in Private's voice did nothing to lessen the guilt Skipper was feeling, he was starting to doubt that he would get any sleep tonight. "Remember how I used to be terrified of Rico? Granted he does still scare me, but only someone who was completely insane wouldn't be."

Ignoring the implications of the last sentence, Skipper nodded in agreement, "The point Private?"

"Well the reason why I was so terrified was because I thought that Rico is what Mr. Tux or rather I could have become, well what I still could become. Rico cares, a lot, he has a big heart, and he can turn it off become a mindless killer, but he can't always control it. Because he got hurt so badly for being so caring that something snapped and he can't always keep the wall between those opposing sides up." Private's voice was shaking and he kept his head down unable to look at Skipper. "I'm so afraid that will happen to me and the constant fear of losing who you are, is nothing to be jealous of and to be honest I've always been a little jealous of you, Skippa."

"What?" There was no hiding how surprised Skipper was hearing Private say that he was jealous, it didn't make sense. Even Private's confession on his colder attitude towards Rico slipped his mind as he tried to work out the last part of the younger man's explanation.

"Maybe jealous isn't the right word, it's more I've always admired how confident and brave you are. You always know exactly the right thing to do, you don't even think about it or at least it seems that way to me. You're everything I want to be, without having to become Mr. Tux."

"The grass is never greener on either side of the fence." A heavy silence hung over the two men once more before Skipper hastily added, "I'm sorry Private, I really am. This whole mess is my fault, but I intend to do my best to clean it up." He waited for Private to go all gooey-eyed, but only a bitter half-smile found the boy's lips as he shook his head.

"I don't think you should blame yourself over what happened those years ago with Frankie. I think fate wanted to save him until you had a team to back you up." Skipper didn't believe in fate or destiny, but the thought amused him and as Private finally met his eyes it seemed the younger man found it amusing to a degree as well or was holding back on some joke.

"Now why would fate do that?"

"Penguins never swim alone" Private shrugged before giving Skipper a wicked grin, "and I remember hearing from CENTRAAL that the penguins are psychotic. Frankie has no idea what he's really up against." Skipper couldn't stop the grin from coming nor could he get a hold of the sudden pride he felt looking at Private, even if he had a sneaking suspicion that the young man hadn't forgiven him.

 


	4. Chapter 4

_"You see anything weird yet boys?"_ Skipper asked from his position across from the new community center were Commissioner McSlade had just arrived and the crowd was gathering.

 _"Frankie weird or New York weird? It's clear on either."_ Kowalski responded first, surprisingly cheeky given the seriousness of the mission. If they survived this he'd be sure to have Kowalski run a few extra laps during training. He heard Rico grunt that it was clear where he was as well, followed by Private giving his all clear.

He had been worried before, but now he was terrified, Frankie should have made a move by now. It didn't make sense for him to set up such an elaborate plan but not act on it. Which is why Skipper realized that the radio had been quiet, too quiet at least until there was a burst of static followed by the frantic voices of his team.

" _Skip-per rats sighted I'm moving in-possible bomb in sector seven-Yabblerabblereba, and, um, uh, yabbabadabiba!"_

" _Do not engage, I repeat, do not engage! Kowalski? Rico? Private? One of you answer me damn it_ "! He was met by silence. It seemed that Frankie had started making his moves, he just hadn't started with him. He went to move but froze as the familiar feeling of the cold end of a gun barrel pressed into the base of his neck.

"You never were able to trust in your team Skipper, but I suppose this time you're right not to."

"Frankie, it's been awhile." Skipper was tense, he was helpless in his situation and unable to contact his boys to see if they were still holding on.

"It certainly has and if I recall correctly, the last time we were this close, you couldn't take the shot."

"Only a coward shoots a man from behind."

"I'm quite certain that coward is the last word people think when they see me. However, I gotta ask, does that little minx of yours know what a hypocrite you are?"

"It's seems you forgot that I don't have time for love." Skipper swallowed thickly, he knew that Frankie would be able to see through his lie. Yet, he had to try to keep Marlene out of this, it had been one of his biggest concerns when they stared going out. There was a reason agents weren't supposed get attached and start relationships, the more ties they had the more leverage someone could have against them.

"Who said anything about love? I just happened to notice that you've been spending a bit of time with a Marlene Stevens."

"Leave her out of this."

"Well that's the trouble you see, I have so many choices. I could kill you now and watch your team fall apart or I could kill your team, Marlene, and McSlade then pin it all on you. Of course, I could leave another member of your team alive to take the heat after all Rico certainly has an interesting record. Kowalski could work too, he should have been committed years ago. Really, how he slipped through the mental screening stumps me. Just like Private, although it would be easy to pull the strings and take him under my wing."

"Keep flapping those lips and I'll shoot myself just so you don't have to waste a bullet." It was exactly how Skipper figured Frankie would play it.

"Funny, so rather than bore you to death, I'll cut to the chase. The Amarillo Kid has a target on Marlene, I give the word and her brains will paint the walls of her apartment. If your hand goes anywhere near any of your guns, I will give that word."

"You son of a bitch…"

"As for your men, I hired a few Rats to keep them busy and if that doesn't work, then Officer X is one automated message away. I know he's been wanting to take you down for a couple years now."

"You know I can't let you get away with this."

"But you will, because I'm the one in control. I am the one giving orders today and you will follow them or face the consequences."

"So you want me to sit and watch you kill McSlade."

"That's part of it, after I take the shot I want you to take the fall and if you don't then I will destroy everything you have come to care for. They'll call it the Park Avenue Massacre. So you're going to sit there and watch and if you even think about moving, I will know."

Skipper didn't move, not even after Frankie left, his heart was pounding. It was like that other day so many years ago, when Frankie pulled out all of his biggest fears, but this time was different because Skipper had so much more to lose.

"Don't tell me you're giving up, Skippah."

"Private?" Skipper turned to see Private and Kowalski, they were a little worse for wear, but alive all the same.

"Frankie isn't as smart as he likes to think. We heard everything or almost everything, it was sort of hard to hear with all the fighting and all."

"You mean you took out Frankie's goons?"

"It was nothing a few hundred volts couldn't handle." Kowalski grinned in a manner that was a little bit similar to Rico. Which lead to Skipper's next question.

"Where's Rico?"

"Kicking the snot out of the Kid for clipping him last time he was in town," Private answered.

"Which means-"

"Marlene's safe and Frankie's fair game." Kowalski finished Skipper's sentence.

Skipper drew himself to his full height, "Alright, Kowalski track his signal and Private you find a nice spot to watch the show."

Kowalski rambled out an address, and Skipper was off, leaping from roof top to roof top with only one thought in mind. Frankie was going to pay. There was no way he was going to let that filthy pigeon get away again.

"Bad move, Skipper." Frankie's voice taunted him through his ear piece, but Skipper could hardly bring himself to care. He was going to finish this once and for all, by any means necessary.

"The only bad move I made was not trusting my men." Skipper paused, he was close, and all he needed was to figure out where Frankie had hidden away at.

"Regardless of your men, McSlade's blood is still going to be on your hands."

Skipper looked to see that McSlade had just finished his speech and was about to be handed the ceremonial scissors when a glimmer of something metallic caught the corner of his eye. There was only one option left, the option he was hoping that it wouldn't come to. With everything he had he rushed out a fire escape and through the crowd, leaping in front of McSlade just as the ribbon was cut. Then the air was punched out of his lungs just as he heard the crowd gasp, the screams that hit his ears were echoes of the scream of agony that was stolen from him as his body hit concrete. His vision was spotted with black and Skipper wasn't entirely certain if the cracking he had heard had been his ribs or his skull.

"Skipper!"

That voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it, but it couldn't have been any of his men. Skipper blacked out with a whisper of "Marlene" on his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

When Skipper came to his head was pounding and his mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. If it his chest hadn't hurt and if the circumstances were a bit different he could chalked it up to a night of too much drinking. Skipper turned his head to see Kowalski sitting in the plastic chair next to the bed with a book in his hands. "Kowalski?"

"Oh good, you're awake."

"Ugh, what happened?" Or at least what Skipper thought he said, it was hard to say with everything still out of sorts.

"Long story short: Frankie's dead, Private did it, you have bruised ribs and some head trauma, Marlene wants to kill you."

"What?"

"I'll fill you in when you're more coherent."

Skipper nodded but quickly regretted the action and leaned back closing his eyes, when he opened them it wasn't Kowalski by his bed, but rather a nurse checking in on him. It wasn't long before the doctor made an appearance and explained the extent of his injuries before letting him know that he'd be released tomorrow morning. He only had a few minutes to himself before Kowalski returned.

"Where's Rico and Private?"

"They finished giving their statements a few hours ago via video conference at HQ, I told them to come by after, but they apparently stopped for lunch after I told them you'd live."

"I hope it'll be worth running laps until they puke come next training session."

"I'm sure it'll be worth it to know you're fully recovered, Skipper. Which once you are you'll have to give a statement as well."

"Sounds like a lot of paperwork."

"It will be, sir."

"Just what I want to hear. Now, you said Frankie was dead, how'd that happen."

"Just as you jumped in front of McSlade, Private took out Frankie."

"Huh, remind me to tell that boy I'm proud of him."

"I'm sure Private will be happy to hear that. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry, not that I can blame I was pretty livid myself, those vest hadn't been tested. You could have died."

"Desperate times, Kowalski. But you are the only one who knows what could have happened right?"

"I think Rico has his suspicions, but everyone else is in the dark, I figured it was for the best. Mostly because I'm sure Marlene already wants to will you for pulling a stunt like that."

"She's here?"

"We've been switching every hour or so."

"Then send her in so I can apologize, just know for the record that if she kills me you're in charge of the team."

"Not that it's any of my business Skipper, but I believe she loves you too much to kill you."

"Funny, I thought the same thing about Hans."

"And that's my cue to leave." Kowalski pointed at thumb at the door, the tips of his ears going slightly pink.

"I didn't give you permission to leave, soldier." Skipper was impressed that Kowalski managed to stop mid-step and was able to look past the eye roll.

"Permission to leave, sir?"

"Permission granted."

Kowalski ducked out of the door with his phone in hand and a fond smile on his face. A smile Skipper knew he didn't put there, but to think about who could have though was entertaining idea and a welcome distraction as he waited for Marlene.

He was nervous to say the least, he had no idea what he would say to Marlene although he had a good idea of what she might say.

"Skipper! Don't you ever pull something like that again, I thought I lost you." Marlene barreled through the door her expression caught between anger and relief.

"I thought I told you to stay in the apartment," Skipper teased, recalling a brief glimpse of her before he first passed out after taking the shot.

"You know how bad I am at following orders." She gave a small smile, eyes shining.

"That's why I love you, but I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"And how do you think I feel? Any time you take on a mission I don't know if you'll come back and today I saw you get shot. You jumped in front of a bullet, I thought you were dead." Marlene's voice cracked and Skipper felt his heartbreak. There was a reason he didn't typically get in to relationships with civilians, they weren't used to the risks and dangers that came with the job. He supposed on some level Marlene knew there was always a chance that he wouldn't come back from a mission, but this probably made it very real for her. In fact if the vest hadn't held up it would be real, he had taken a real gamble on it and seeing Marlene on the verge of tears almost made him wish that he hadn't.

"Marlene, I'm sorry. I never wanted for you to see me get hurt."

"I have seen you hurt before, I never saw you almost die, I thought you were dead!" Marlene saw Skipper flinch at her slightly raised voice, guilt flashing across his face. "I'm sorry, Skipper I knew what I was getting into and this is the last thing we need to be talking about. You need to recover and I need to get drunk."

Skipper laughed, but had to stop as the pain was too much which had Marlene apologizing all over again. He hated that she felt the need to and hated that he had scared her. Once he had recovered they were going to have a long talk, because he couldn't imagine ending their relationship but there were still things they needed to work on.

"Well you're not having any drinks without me." He finally said since there wasn't anything else he really could say in response.

"Then it'll be a date." Marlene sniffled and settled in the chair next to him. He took her hand and intertwined their fingers together, already planning the perfect date. Even though he was certain that whatever had happened with Frankie was far from over, if anything it felt like the beginning of something much bigger.

 


End file.
